The present invention relates to a vehicle cargo system and, more particularly, one for selectively dividing the rear area of a vehicle into multiple storage areas.
With today""s increasingly mobile society, vehicles are being employed for multiple functions in addition to the normal work commute. The popularity of sport utility vehicles has highlighted the need for vehicles which have sufficient storage or cargo areas to accommodate multiple functions of a vehicle in addition to the typical transportation of groceries, household items, and the like. Vehicles frequently are used for extended vacations as well as day trips to beaches, parks, and other short-term locations which may require unique storage capabilities. In addition, the architecture of vehicles themselves is changing with emphasis on flexibility of designs to allow vehicles to serve multiple functions. One such vehicle is a hybrid vehicle, such as a hatchback, sedan, or sport utility vehicle with a removable rear cab cover to take on the form of a pickup truck type vehicle.
With sport utility vehicles, conventional automobiles, and hybrid vehicles which can be converted from one form to another, there exists a need for increased flexibility in the interior configuration of the vehicle. Some flexibility is provided in the seating arrangements of many such vehicles which may employ fold-down and/or removable seats and fold-down panels to convert the rear seating area of a vehicle into a large cargo handling area. Some commercially available vehicles, for example, have fold-down panels attached to the backs of mid-row seats which enclose areas behind the seats when folded down to provide a flat continuous storage area. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/939,189 (Attorney Docket 026032-3711) entitled SEATING AND CARGO STORAGE SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE, filed on Aug. 24, 2001, discloses a flexible seating system in which modular seats provide flexible storage and seating configurations. Other flexible storage and cargo holding designs are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,071 entitled VEHICLE STORAGE DIVIDER and U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,202 entitled STORAGE DIVIDER SHELF.
Thus, although some attention has been given to selective cargo configurations by employing movable panels and the like, there exists a need for an adjustable comprehensive cargo system which accommodates the need for hybrid vehicles as well as other vehicles having a reconfigurable rear passenger compartment.
The system of the present invention provides such flexibility by incorporating two hinged panels which can move from a flat cover position providing maximum flat storage for the rear area of a vehicle to multiple additional positions to expose storage bins therebelow to provide storage behind and/or enclose the otherwise open area of the vehicle for security. In a preferred embodiment, such panels include a hinge extending between the panels and a hinge coupling the forward edge of the forward panel to the vehicle. The end of one of the rearward panel includes a latch such that the panels can be locked in different positions. The panels selectively cover first and second storage areas which may include removable and/or invertable storage bins to further add to the flexibility of the system. In a preferred embodiment, the cargo area accommodates left and right pairs of such first and second panels. In one embodiment of the invention, the latch associated with the panels includes a removable latch bar for receiving and locking the forks of one or two bicycles which can be stored in the rear cargo area of a vehicle having an opening in the upper rear area of the vehicle.
These and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following description thereof together with reference to the accompanying drawings.